Tag: observations

perversion

noun

1 Distortion or corruption of the original course, meaning, or state of something.

Some examples:

The American fascists are most easily recognized by their deliberate perversion of truth and fact. Their newspapers and propaganda carefully cultivate every fissure of disunity, every crack in the common front against fascism.
– Henry Wallace

No oppression is so heavy or lasting as that which is inflicted by the perversion and exorbitance of legal authority.
– Samuel Johnson

When you have both parties who will not find ways to compromise, who won’t meet in the middle, you have paralysis. It’s the perversion of idealism.
– Beau Willimon

We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.
– Abraham Lincoln

A couple weeks ago, when the last macOS software update left my computer (and many, many others) unbootable and I wasn’t sure at first if something major had died hardware-wise, as I pondered possible replacement scenarios I came to the conclusion that my machine dying might be a long-term blessing by almost forcing me to ditch Apple hardware. I could have gone the Hackintosh route (using off-the-shelf hardware) or could have just switched to Linux (with a huge range of options for hardware). I know such a switch is not the right thing for everyone, I don’t need to use Adobe CC for instance, but I feel Apple is so focused on squeezing money out of music streaming and watch sales, they have forgotten how they got to where they are. I no longer feel any loyalty to them as I see they have little if any interest in their computer customers.

I love my Mac Pro, though it has a limitation or two, and I am glad it is working well again. But I have it set up to dual-boot with Ubuntu Linux, keep that software up to date daily, and continue to explore the software that is available for that platform. If something happens, I will be ready to walk away for good.

Last Friday I picked up my new eyeglasses. While waiting for the bus home, these two birds (sand hill cranes maybe?) also seemed to be waiting for a bus. They did not get on my bus, perhaps they were waiting for the southbound bus.

It is my belief that there are two primary reasons why Trump has agreed to meet with Kim Jong Un. I believe the timing worked out well for Trump, allowing him to use the announcement as a distraction from the latest round of chaos and malfeasance associated with both his own behavior and the troubles associated with those surrounding him.

Secondly, I think he finds the idea of meeting with Kim Jong Un rather attractive. Kim is one of the handful of world leaders that Trump truly admires and respects. Trump has always praised Putin, and recently expressed his approval for China’s removing term limits from President Xi. But Kim Jong Un is the autocrat’s autocrat. I have no doubt that Trump is jealous of Kim being to dispose of opponents by having them executed on a whim (by anti-aircraft gun, no less). Don’t you think he would have fired that gun at Jeff Sessions and Robert Mueller by now if he could? You know he would.

Anyway, the point is that Trump wants to hang with people who already have what he aspires to. Trump has to contend with the rule of law, he envies people like Kim who can say “My word is law.”

So Jared Kushner’s security clearance has been significantly curtailed, meaning that he is no longer able to see the documents necessary to fulfill the ultra-broad portfolio of responsibilities his father-in-law gave him. So now Jared finally has a job for which he is actually suited. He has been put in charge of organizing and filing Eric Trump’s coloring books and connect-the-dots books. Apparently, he has even been granted authority to correct some of Eric’s connect-the-dot mistakes, as long as he only uses a soft pencil.

How long will you allow the NRA to own the President? (Well, share the President with Russia)

How long will you allow the NRA to hold your safety and the safety of your loved ones hostage?

How long will the needless carnage continue?

Any and every elected official who has accepted money from the NRA is complicit in the slaughter.

How will you vote later this year? Do you even vote? Do you care enough to participate? Will you wait until the event you or you family members are attending is shot to pieces before you care?

Fire Congressmen, not guns. Fire Senators, not guns. Fire the President, not guns.

Thoughts and prayers? Thoughts and prayers? Shut up you damned hypocrites!

End the madness.

What follows is a simultaneously humorous and serious look at the U.S. gun violence problem done by a TV show in The Netherlands. Originally posted in October, 2017, it is no less relevant today.

Members of the House and Senators alike lack the courage to face down the NRA fearing that they will lose their seats. They wory more about remaining in power than doing right by the people they are supposed to represent. We as voters need to show them that losing their seats will be a direct consequence of failing to take real action on gun violence.

And I will keep posting this because of its brief burst of brilliance and insight.